Athletics New Zealand - Weekly Roundup
HAMILTON
Porritt Classic
Valerie Vili made an emphatic statement to the world that she is on target to again dominate the shot put this year with a record equalling toss of 20.25m at Hamilton’s Porritt Stadium last evening.
Vili bettered her meeting record of 19.66m set in 2008.
The Halberg sportswoman and supreme award winner for 2009 opened with the record throw which she did not surpass in the rest of the competition.
Jessica Cerival of France was second with 16.99m .
Her New Zealand allcomers and resident record (set in New Zealand) was exactly a year ago at Waitakere a year ago and her Oceania and national record of 21.07m was set in winning the world athletic final in Greece in September.
Vili was pleased with the performance.
“It was a pretty good opener obviously set the standard for the rest of the world and show them all where we’re at.
“First competition and not really anybody here to push me,” said Vili.
“It is always awesome to come down to the Porritt Classic and I’ve given the crowd a show. I don’t compete in New Zealand a lot so it is a great opportunity.”
Vili’s next competition is in Sydney in two weeks time, and then it is a meeting in Melbourne before defending her world indoor title in March.
“My goal for 2010 is to stay unbeaten for as long as possible, I’ve been unbeaten for two years now, I also want to get a great consistency over 20 metres,” she added.
Meanwhile Vili’s arch rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus set a new national indoor record in Mogilev Belarus of 21.70m. Beijing Olympic silver medallist Natalia Mikhnevich of Belarus was second with 20.28m.
It was a night for the field events and the throwers, with Stuart Farquhar of Hamilton confirming his number one ranking in the Commonwealth launching the javelin out to a personal best throw of 85.35m.
His previous best was 83.23m from two years ago. Farquhar’s latest effort would have ranked him eighth in the world last year.
“I knew some sort of distance was there. It’s just about bringing it together and today is just fantastic,” said a delighted Farquhar.
“I’ve been training really hard and everything’s been coming right and technique’s been pretty good and all these things add up to those good throws, I’m very happy,” he added.
Farquhar bettered his meeting record of 81.25m set in 2008.
Julia Ratcliffe of Hamilton added two centimetres to her New Zealand W16 hammer record with a throw of 54.38m while Takapuna’s Jacko Gill also improved on his M16 and M17 shot put record increasing it by 24cm to 20.66m.
Elizabeth Lamb of Waitakere achieved the performance standard for the Commonwealth Games clearing 1.85m in the high jump. The bar was raised to 1.90m and Lamb went close on her second of three attempts.
The national high jump champion said it felt really good to have a Commonwealth Games qualifier under her belt.
“I would have liked to have cleared 1.90m, but I guess we can only go one step at a time. If you just focus on the technical aspects and not clearing it usually happens, because on trying to clear it you knock it over,” said Lamb.
James Dolphin won the sprint double in wind assisted times of 10.49s over 100m and 20.75s in the 200m. Anna Smythe won the women’s 100m in 11.46s from Andrea Koenen who recorded 11.74s. Koenen went on to win the 200m in 23.68s.
Middle distance running winners were Geoff Harris with a time of 3m 49.52s over 1500m and Fiona Crombie who won the women’s 1500m in 4m 24.90s.
HAMILTON
New Zealand Combined Events Championships
Rebecca Wardell of Christchurch won her fourth New Zealand heptathlon title at the national combined championships at Porritt Stadium Hamilton over the weekend.
Seeking a score of over 6000 points Wardell finished the seven event programme with 5911. Defending champion Sarah Cowley of North Harbour was second with 5414.
Wardell said that she was pumped up coming into the event to do 6000.
“After day one with a PB day one score, I thought yes this is going to be good.
“I chose to jump into the head wind just to make it a legal score and my long jump was below par and my javelin as well unfortunately and that just kind of let me down a little bit,” said Wardell.
“But I can’t complain I finished on a season’s best for my 800m which was good, it’s another Commonwealth Games qualifier – which is legal,” she added.
“That was always the goal for the season, to nail that, 6000 just looks better on paper.
“There’s way more in the tank to do a good score like that, having only done one PB in the shot put means there is a lot left in the tank for October (Commonwealth Games),” she said.
Brent Newdick of North Harbour Bays also collected his fourth national title in the decathlon championship. Newdick scored 7676 points but had to bow to Japanese visitor Keisuke Ushiro who won the competition with 7711 points.
Newdick said the highlight for him was the whole start to day one.
He was on personal best pace from the start, 100m faster than 100m at the world championships in Berlin last August, best ever long jump in New Zealand, personal best shot put.
“The high point was a personal best of 14.59m in the shot put. Extra training needed in the technical areas, but it was my first comp of the season and I’m feeling really good,” said Newdick.
He will train through and compete in the Australian Commonwealth Games decathlon trial on the Gold Coast in April, and then two competitions in Europe before returning to New Zealand in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.
John Gilmour of Otago won the M19 decathlon championship with 5162 points and Phil Simms of Te Awamutu won the men 16 octathlon championship with a score of 5312 points.
WHANGAREI
Dave Scratton at 90 years of age is still competing in athletics. Competing in the Northland Master championships at Kensington Park a week ago Scratton established New Zealand M90 records in three events; the hammer throw 16.86m, shot put 4.70m and javelin 10.61m. He threw further in the hammer than the javelin as the hammer throw was up first and he expended nearly all his energy on getting the hammer out.
WELLINGTON
Hamish Carson won the 3000m in 8m 42.47s, and Tina Harris the 800m in 2m 19.24s, Peter Baillie M60-64 won the 3000m walk in 15m 14.83s.
In the field Shaka Sola won the shot with 15.00m and the discus 44.42m. Richard Thomson was second in the shot with 14.66m. Ryan Tinkle M19 had the shot out to 13.74m and the discus 41.05m. Scott Thomson cleared 13.39m (-1.2) in the triple jump while Leesa Lealaisalanoa won the W16 shot with 12.21m and the discus 48.81m.
In the Brooks Waterfront 5km last Tuesday, Jason Waite ran an estimated time of 15m 58s for the full 5km distance. Nyla Carroll won the women’s section in 16m 51s with Tina Harris second in 17m 41s.
CHRISTCHURCH
Canterbury 3000m championships; W19 Hannah Newbould 9m 48.57s from Nicki McFadzien 9m 55.18s, W16 Margot Gibson 10m 39.05s, M19 Samuel Mills 9m 1.65s and M16 Brett Clifford 9m 40.26s. Fiona Morrison won the 100m hurdles in 14.79s (+2.0) with Kelsey Berryman winning the W19 in 14.87s (+2.0). Martin Swart won the M19 110m hurdles in 15.64s (+2.6) and the 400m hurdles in 56.30s.
Todd Mansfield won the sprint double with 10.87s (+1.6) over 100m and 21.65s (+2.9) over 200m.
Hayden Hall M16 won the shot put 13.30m, discus 42.23m and the javelin 46.92m. Kellie Palmer won the 800m in 2m 12.29s and Jason Lawrence the 3000m in 8m 55.91s.
DUNEDIN
Lauren Wilson W19 100m in 12.83s and 200m in 25.01s (+1.7). Daniel Balchin won the M19 1500m in 4m 3.68s. Dougal Thorburn won the 1500m in 4m 00.61s, the 5000m in 15m 25.14s and a 200m in 26.49s (+1.7). Kirsty Morris won the women’s 1500m in 4m 48.11s.
WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Doha Qatar – 12-14 March 2010
Adrian Blincoe will represent New Zealand at the World Indoor Championships next month.
Blincoe has been selected for the 1500m and 3000m. The 1500m heats and the 3000m heats are on 12 March, the final of the 1500m on 13 March and the final of the 3000m on 14 March. Blincoe opened his season’s racing with an indoors mile of 3m 58.53s in New York three weeks ago.
Valerie Vili has already been selected for the World Indoor Championships in the shot put.
AUSTRALIA
Briggs Classic – Domain Athletics Centre, Hobart – 12 February
Richard Olsen 9th in the 1500m in 3m 46.11s.
IAAF Race Walking Challenge – Constitution Dock, Hobart – 13 February
New Zealand placings: Men 20km; Quentin Rew 12th 1h 35m 16s, Scott Nelson 13th 1h 39m 16s, Mike Parker 16th 1h 46m 52s, Eric Kemsley 17th 1h 52m 40s, David Sim 18th 1h 56m 30s. Race won by Jared Tallent of Australia in 1h 19m 15s.
Women 20km; Kate Newitt 6th 1h 47m 52s, Rosie Robinson 7th 1h 51m 24s, Alana Barber 9th 1h 58m 58s, Kelly Mabbett 11th 2h 5m 26s. Race won by Claire Tallent of Australia in 1h 32m 40s.
US INDOORS
University of Washington, Husky Invitation Mile at Dempsey Indoor; Adrian Blincoe won the mile in 3m 57.05s beating Mac Fleet 3m 57.70s. See above Blincoe has been selected for the World Indoor Championships in Qatar next month.
In Boston at the BU Valentine Invitational Providence’s Dominic Channon was 5th in the mile with a time of 4m 02.32s while in the 1000m Tom Osborne came 2nd in 2m 23.51s. At GVSU Big Meet women 800m Alice Feslier-Holmes running for Purdue was 18th in a time of 2m 15.21s. In the mile best of the Kiwi’s was Michigan’s Dallas Bowden with 6th in 4m 04.62s, with Purdue’s Simon Rogers 19th in 4m 12.91s and Brendon Blacklaws running for Michigan was 20th in 4m 13.26s, while in the 3000m Blacklaws was 8th in 8m 08.04s and Bowden 9th in 8m 09.11s.
At the Tiger Paw Invitational Lauren Fayen, University of Alabama, claimed 1st in the 800m with a time of 2m 14.77s. At the Husky Classic Te Rina Keenan, University of Hawaii, set a PR in the shot put with a distance of 12.25m.
In the 800m at Lafayette Rider Winter Games Michael Christmas, University of Maryland, was 11th with a time of 1m 57.26s.
Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. Paula Whiting won the women's mile with a time of 4m 58.67s, while Melanie Cleland finished 13th in women's mile Invitational with a personal-best time of 4m 56.12s. David Ambler was 3rd in his heat of the 60m in 6.84s.
At the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa’s. Ayla Gill, placed fifth with a mark of 17.86m in the weight throw.